Jennifer Lopez Falls Apart During American Idol Eliminations

The American Idol Sob Story is a trademark of the show, and there’s always at least one contestant whose heartbreak and hardships are inspiring. This season, the Idol Sob Story belonged to Chris Medina, a singer whose fianceé, Juliana, was in a car accident that left her brain-damaged and under the constant care of her mother and Medina, who remains devoted to her. So when it came time for the judges to choose the final 24 contestants of the season and Medina wasn’t one of them, it was a little tough to see him go, especially for Jennifer Lopez, who cried as she delivered the news.

Lopez has been slowly winning us over with her gig at Idol this season. Overall, the show has become a kinder, more supportive environment thanks to Lopez and her fellow new judge Steven Tyler, but last night, Lopez showed some serious emotion and started bawling after telling Medina he was out. “It honestly breaks my heart to say this but you did not make it,” Lopez said before melting down into a Jenny From The Block sized puddle of tears, which made us melt a little too. While Medina bowed out gracefully, the episode took a bizarre turn as it ended on a “To Be Continued” note, with Lopez saying “I don’t want to do this anymore.” Usually the Idol cliffhangers are reserved for which contestants will leave the show, not whether or not a judge will leave. We do have to say that J. Lo’s breakdown does make her more human, but do you really think she’ll leave the show?